


In the Meantime...

by rose02



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Homophobia, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Richie Tozier is a Little Shit, eddie is a soc, its hard to expain, lovers to enemies??, richie is a greaser, switched!au, then they live together in an apartment in another universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 04:22:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13779612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rose02/pseuds/rose02
Summary: In one universe, Richie Tozier is a greaser in 1958. His high school career is made up of being an idiot and hanging out with his two best friends. The problem is, he can't stop thinkng about his worst enemy, Eddie Kaspbrak.In another universe, Richie and Eddie have been in a commited relationship and living together for three years. It seems like their only problem is finding time for each other.And, somehow, the two Richies from these two universes get... switched.Oh, no.





	In the Meantime...

**Author's Note:**

> you know how much i love a cheesy summary
> 
> -
> 
> this is my new project and i'm so excited!
> 
> thank you so much to my betas @papaya-complex and @losersclub-grey on tumblr!
> 
> im @r-u-reddie on tumblr!

_ In a universe, set in 1958… _

 

Richie Tozier was what many people would call crass. Foul-mouthed. Call it what you will, it was written in stone that Richie had a “trashmouth”, which gave him his notorious nickname.

 

Ever since he was a toddler, the greaser loved to shock and awe the neighborhood children with his obvious wit and horrific language. He truly was a local celebrity, a terror to all parents, a legend and nuisance among his peers.

 

He loved to irritate and humor crowds with his gift, but there was one person in particular that made Richie live his legacy to the fullest potential.

 

_ Eddie Kaspbrak. _

 

Maybe it was the fact that Eddie had an extremely prissy quality about him that made Richie tease him relentlessly. Perhaps it was his stature, which happened to be quite short. It may have been the unadulterated, mutual hatred they shared for each other. Whatever the cause, Eddie Kaspbrak was Richie’s favorite victim.

 

“Hey Eddie-Bear! You scurrying off so soon?”

 

After school had let out, Richie had stood in front of the building, waiting for his nemesis to prance his way through the doors. 

 

Eddie looked at Richie, gave him a look of disgust, and clutched his books to his chest. Whilst Richie was known for being the town trash-mouth, Eddie was known for being the town germaphobe. He was constantly pristine, and actually quite kind and witty, to Richie’s dismay.

 

The seventeen year old had a slight baby face, adorned with big brown eyes and freckle-dusted cheeks. His face was framed with wavy, caramel hair, neatly gelled with a few stray curls in his face, the complete opposite of Richie’s wild mane. He was almost like a doll, dressed in stainless, wrinkle-free clothing, with a perfect little face. Eddie was a soc, a delicate one at that, but most definitely a soc.

 

“Didn’t have anything better to do other than waiting for me? That’s low, even for you, Richie.”

 

A fire sparked in Richie’s abdomen, feeling himself get irritated with Eddie. For some reason, Eddie was the only person who could get to him, which in itself was a rare occasion for Richie’s nonsensical mind.

 

Richie gave Eddie a somewhat mocking smile. “Couldn’t resist the need to see that beautiful face. Speaking of, can you give your mother a message for me? Tell her that I’ll pay her tomorrow for last night’s… servicing.”

 

Richie only grinned more when Eddie’s face went bright red. “Drop dead twice, Tozier.”

 

“What, and look like you?”

 

Eddie huffed and spun on his heel, continuing to walk. “Hey, I’m talking to you, doll face! You treat your boyfriend the same way you treat me?” Richie called after him, knowing this one would get to Eddie.

 

Eddie stopped dead in his tracks, slowly turning around. “You are such a germ!” Eddie fumed, “How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not a fag! Never was, never will be!”

 

“You keep on telling me that, and it gets harder and harder to believe!”

 

“I absolutely detest you, Trashmouth!”

 

Eddie gave Richie a nasty glare, then walked around the corner and out of Richie’s sight. For some reason, as Eddie walked away, Richie began to feel… disappointed. 

 

‘ _ Weird.’  _ Richie thought to himself, kicking at the grass.

 

Richie began to make his way over to the  _ Fred’s Diner _ to meet up with Bev, his right hand man. ‘ _ Well... woman.’  _ Richie thought to himself.

 

Once he stood in front of the diner, he took a deep breath in, his mouth watering at the scent of hamburger meat grilling.

 

He pushed through the diner doors and gave one of the waitresses a salute, to which she sneered at. Richie grinned when he saw Beverly, with his favorite milkshake placed across from her.

 

Beverly was, without a doubt, one of Richie’s favorite people. She was given a lot of crap about being raised a greaser, more so than Richie, but she was one of the best people Richie knew, from her attitude to her opinions. If he was ever lost on a deserted island, he’d want to be stuck with her.

 

Richie slid into the chair across from her. “This all for me,  _ dahlin?  _ You really shouldn’t have!” He said in one of his best southern accents.

 

“Where have you been?” Beverly interrogated, folding her arms. “I’ve been waiting for nearly an hour.”

 

Richie shrugged. “Just hangin’ around.”

 

“So, had fun antagonizing Kaspbrak again?” Bev asked, taking a sip of her milkshake.

 

Richie’s stomach jumped at the sound of Eddie’s last name.

 

‘ _ Jesus,’  _ Richie thought to himself, ‘ _ today’s been strange.’ _

 

Richie smirked and replied, “You know it.”

 

-

 

After a couple hours of hanging out with Beverly and eventually Stan, Richie crawled into bed, not bothering to change into pajamas.

 

As he collapsed onto the old mattress, he couldn’t help but think of Eddie. The way he looked. The way he talked. The way he scrunched up his nose at Richie. Everything, really.

 

His last thought as he went to sleep was, ‘ _ Why does it have to be like this? What would it be like if we didn’t hate each other so much?’  _

 

-

 

Richie woke up with a long, overdramatic yawn. He sat up and blindly reached for his glasses, which was made more difficult in the dark.   
  


In search of his glasses, Richie flung his left hand to the side of his bed where his drawer would usually be, and instead of feeling a cold, hard surface, he felt a soft, warm lump.   
  


“Jeez, Rich,” a bizarrely familiar voice groaned, “that’s one way to wake me up.”   
  


Richie froze.    
  


“Just so you know, I’m still mad at you.” The voice said, sounding a little cold.

 

After five seconds of wracking his brain of any memory that would piece together why there was a stranger in his bed, he flung himself out of the bed, accidentally tangled himself in the sheets, and tried to frantically escape the mess of linen.   
  


“Hold on, Richie. Do you want your glasses? They’re on your bedside table.”   
  


Richie sprung to his feet and put on the glasses from the table. He embarrassingly realized that he was only in boxers, and Richie was pretty sure that he had fallen asleep in his clothes yesterday.

 

He slid on the frames, and to put it lightly, Richie was not ready for what he saw.

 

First, he noticed that the bed he had previously been sleeping in, was not his bed.   
  


Then, he realized that he was in a room that he did not recognize.   
  


Finally, he saw that in his bed, looking distraught and also quite immodest, was his absolute worst enemy, Eddie Kaspbrak.   
  


The last thing Richie remembered before he blacked out was Eddie asking, “Are you okay, baby?”

 

-

 

_ In another universe, set in our modern day… _

 

“Honey, I’m home!” Richie yelled obnoxiously into the apartment, dropping his bag in front of the door. He briefly looked at himself in the mirror right next to the front entrance. His hair had become severely curly and frizzy because of his long day. Irritated with it, he pulled into a ponytail/poof.

 

“Eddie, my  _ loooove!” _

 

Silence welcomed him.

 

Confused, Richie checked in his and Eddie’s bedroom, finding it void of an Eddie. He frowned and continued to scour the apartment.

 

“Eds, I’m  _ not  _ in the mood for hide-and-seek. I know you’re home, I saw your keys in the bowl.”

 

Richie strolled into the kitchen and saw Eddie sitting at the dining table with his arms crossed. 

 

‘ _ I’m dead.’ _

 

“Richie, you better have a fantastic explanation to why you missed our date night that we’ve been planning for  _ two weeks.” _ Eddie growled, starting to clean up the table, which Richie realized had lit candles and baked goods on it.

 

‘ _ Oh, shit.’ _

 

“I am  _ so  _ sorry, angel. I know I forgot, but Mike wanted me to help him with his essay after finishing at the station and I couldn’t just say  _ no-“ _

 

“I can’t believe you! _That’s_ why you forgot?”

 

Richie grimaced, “Baby, please, I’m really, super, incredibly sorry.”

 

Eddie buried his face in his hands. “I don’t wanna hear it, Rich. I’m going to bed.”

 

“Eddie, wait-“

 

Eddie left the room. 

 

“Real mature, Eds!” Richie called after him.

 

Richie rubbed his temples and groaned, feeling awful for standing up his boyfriend, but still feeling a little bit pissed off. As he collected himself, he started to get ready to sleep.

 

Once he was ready for bed, he climbed into the covers of their bed and tried to spoon Eddie. Emphasis on  _ tried. _

 

“Get off me. I’m mad as hell, Richie.” Eddie grumbled, scooching away from Rich.

 

Richie frowned, thinking of someway to get Eddie to forgive him. Then,  _ lightbulb. _

 

“I’ll give you a back massage!”

 

Silence, and then, “For longer than 30 minutes?”

 

“You betcha, baby.”

 

-

 

Richie groaned into the pillow when he woke up to a loud  _ ding! Ding! Ding. _ . 

 

_ ‘Did Eds get a new alarm?’  _ He asked himself, patting the side of the bed to wake up Eddie. When all he felt was the empty, cold mattress beside him, he lifted his head, knowing that it was a Saturday, and that Eddie would never wake up early on the weekend. 

 

He sat up slowly when he realized that he was in a completely unfamiliar room. He strange noise was blaring from his right, coming from an extremely vintage clock. 

 

_ ‘What the actual fuck?’ _

 

Richie grabbed the clock hastily, and tried to figure out how to turn the stupid noise off. Eventually, he just slammed it on the bedside table, which put an end to it. 

 

A knock came from his door, and in came Beverly Marsh.

 

“Bev! Where’s Eddie?!” Richie exclaimed, knowing that she would have an explanation.

 

She came over to him and frowned, “What are you talking about? He’s probably already at school! How long did you sleep through your alarm? _ Get up _ ! It’s time for school, you slug!” 

 

_ ‘School?! I haven’t had to go to school in two years… Did I die? Is this hell?’ _

 

“Why am I going to school? Why is  _ Eddie  _ going to school?”

 

Bev gave him a weird look and nagged, “Because we have to? We can skip fourth period if you really want to, but just, get ready! Now!”

 

Richie sat in bed, stunned at what just occurred, and made his way to the mirror, finding himself fully dressed in a white t-shirt along with blue jeans and a leather jacket, which quite honestly, didn’t look too bad on him.

 

Bev left the room, and Richie hesitantly made his way over to the closet, opening the door. As he browsed through the clothing, he noticed that it was all very vintage and somewhat dirty.

 

_ ‘Eddie would be having a melt down with all of this reused laundry.’ _

 

Then he saw the calendar hanging from the closet door, telling Richie that it was most likely March. And 1958.

 

Needless to say, everything went black.


End file.
